View source for Philippa Boyens

{{Short description|New Zealand screenwriter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2019}} 
{{Infobox person
| name               = Philippa Boyens
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=100%}}
| image              = Philippa Boyens 2023.jpg
| caption            = Boyens in 2023
| birth_name         = Philippa Jane Boyens
| birth_date         = {{Birth year and age|1962}}
| birth_place        = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| alma_mater         = [[University of Auckland]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| occupation         = {{hlist|Screenwriter|producer}}
| years active       = 2001{{ndash}}present
| spouse             = [[Paul Gittins]] ({{ndash}}present)
| children           = 3
}}
'''Philippa Jane Boyens''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM}} (born 1963) is a New Zealand screenwriter who co-wrote the screenplay for [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' series]], ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'', ''[[The Lovely Bones (film)|The Lovely Bones]]'', and the three-part film series ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]].''

== Biography ==
Born in 1962, Boyens is the daughter of John Fraser Boyens and Jane Moana Menhennet.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |year=1994 |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |location=Auckland |page=74 |author-link1=Alister Taylor |author-link2=Deborah Coddington}}</ref> She was educated at [[Massey High School]], and was later a part-time student at the [[University of Auckland]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in English and history in 1994.<ref name=":0" /> After that Boyens joined a theatre company and her wages were paid by the government in a [[Project Employment Programme|PEP scheme]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Productions |first=WestMark |title=WIFT: Capital Champions - Cine Queens Speak 3 May 2023 |date=2023-05-21 |url=https://vimeo.com/828708816/c4e1810668 |access-date=2023-07-12}}</ref>

Boyens received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University and Auckland in 2006.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Distinguished Alumni Profiles - Philippa Boyens |url=http://www.alumni.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/af-phillippa-boyens |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220002827/http://www.alumni.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/af-phillippa-boyens |archive-date=20 February 2012 |access-date=2 January 2010 |publisher=[[University of Auckland]]}}</ref>

Boyens co-wrote the [[screenplay]] for [[Peter Jackson]]'s films [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' series]], ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'', ''[[The Lovely Bones (film)|The Lovely Bones]]'', and the three-part film ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'',<ref name="Moviefone">{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Drew |date=19 December 2014 |title=Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens on "The Hobbit", a Missing Elf, and What's Next (EXCLUSIVE) |work=Moviefone |publisher=Moviefone |agency=AOL Inc. |issue=19 December 2014 |url=http://news.moviefone.com/2014/12/19/peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-the-hobbit-interview |url-status=dead |access-date=25 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224182608/http://news.moviefone.com/2014/12/19/peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-the-hobbit-interview |archive-date=2014-12-24 }}</ref> all with Jackson and [[Fran Walsh]].<ref name="The Huffington Post">{{cite news |last1=Sobczak |first1=Marcin J. |date=5 December 2014 |title=The Producer's Work: An Interview With Philippa Boyens |work=The Huffington Post |publisher=huffingtonpost.com |issue=5 December 2014 |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/marcin-j-sobczak/the-producers-work-an-int_1_b_6268066.html?ir=India |url-status=live |access-date=25 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225074100/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcin-j-sobczak/the-producers-work-an-int_1_b_6268066.html?ir=India |archive-date=2014-12-25 }}</ref><ref name="3 News">{{cite news |last1=Rodger |first1=Kate |date=2 December 2014 |title=Full interview: Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens on finishing the Hobbit movies |work=3news.co.nz |publisher=3 News Newzealand |agency=3 News Newzealand |issue=2 December 2014 |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/entertainment/full-interview-peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-on-finishing-the-hobbit-movies-2014120215 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225074059/http://www.3news.co.nz/entertainment/full-interview-peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-on-finishing-the-hobbit-movies-2014120215 |archive-date=2014-12-25 }}</ref><ref name="Now Magazine Toronto">{{cite web |last1=Wilner |first1=Norman |title=Q&A: Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, & Lee Pace |url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/features/peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-lee-pace |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106092855/https://nowtoronto.com/movies/features/peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-lee-pace/ |archive-date=6 November 2018 |access-date=25 December 2014 |publisher=Now Magazine }}</ref><ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Noelene |date=18 December 2014 |title="The Hobbit": Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens on "Five Armies" ending |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=Los Angeles Times |issue=18 December 2014 |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/the-hobbit-peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-on-five-armies-ending/#/0 |url-status=live |access-date=25 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227072421/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/the-hobbit-peter-jackson-philippa-boyens-on-five-armies-ending/#/0 |archive-date=2014-12-27 }}</ref>

Boyens, Jackson, and Walsh won the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]] for ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' at the [[76th Academy Awards]] in 2004. She was co-producer on every one of Jackson's films since ''King Kong'', and on ''[[District 9]]''. Prior to screen-writing, Boyens worked in theatre as a playwright, teacher, producer, and editor.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ethan Gilsdorf |author-link=Ethan Gilsdorf |title=Hobbit Week: A Conversation with Hobbit Screenwriter Philippa Boyens |publisher=Wired.com |url=https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/12/philippa-boyens |url-status=dead |access-date=28 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114030036/http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/12/philippa-boyens |archive-date=January 14, 2013}}</ref> 

Boyens was director of the [[New Zealand Writers Guild]] for a time.<ref name="PBio">{{cite web |title=Phillipa Boyens biodata |url=http://www.in.com/philippa-boyens/biography-222901.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113100613/http://www.in.com/philippa-boyens/biography-222901.html |archive-date=13 November 2013 |access-date=28 April 2013 |publisher=In.com}}</ref>

==Work on ''Lord of the Rings''==
Boyens first became a Tolkien fan as a child. When she came on board to help the writing team on ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', she had already read the book seven times.<ref name="PBio"/>

== Personal life ==
Boyens has three children, Phoebe and Calum Gittins, whose father is actor [[Paul Gittins]], and Isaac Miller. All have worked as actors on screen on movies Boyens has been involved in: Phoebe Gittins as a Hobbit in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', in ''[[The Lovely Bones (film)|The Lovely Bones]]'', and in the [[Prancing Pony]] in ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]''; Calum Gittins appeared as [[List of original characters in The Lord of the Rings film series#Haleth|Haleth]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'';<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0101991|name=Philippa Boyens}}</ref> and Isaac Miller appeared as a young Hobbit in a flashback of the Old Took's party in the extended edition of ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]''.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}  

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
!Writer
!Producer
!Soundtrack<br>writer
|-
| 2001
| ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|
|-
| 2002
| ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|"[[The Edge of Night (song)|The Edge of Night]]", "The Green Dragon"
|-
| 2005
| ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes|Co-producer}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2009
|''[[District 9]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes|Co-producer}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Lovely Bones (film)|The Lovely Bones]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes|Co-producer}}
|
|-
| 2012
| ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes|Co-producer}}
|
|-
| 2013
| ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes|Co-producer}}
|
|-
| 2014
| ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes|Co-producer}}
|
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Mortal Engines (film)|Mortal Engines]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|
|-
|2024
|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim]]''
|{{Partial|Story}}
|{{Yes}}
|
|}


== Awards ==
In the [[2004 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|2004 Queen's Birthday Honours]], Boyens was appointed a [[Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit]], for services to film.<ref>{{cite web |date=7 June 2004 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2004 |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2004 |access-date=15 June 2019 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cci}}
*{{imdb name}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Phillipa Boyens
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestAdaptedScreenplay 2001–2020}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2000–2019}}
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Nebula Award for Best Script/Bradbury Award 2001–2020}}
{{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Writing 1991–2010}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyens, Philippa}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand writers]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand screenwriters]]
[[Category:Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Adapted Screenplay BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit]]
[[Category:Nebula Award winners]]
[[Category:New Zealand women screenwriters]]
[[Category:People educated at Massey High School]]
[[Category:University of Auckland alumni]]
[[Category:Women science fiction and fantasy writers]]